August 25, 2010
Australia

Yet another wind farm

The Standard, www.standard.net.au 25 August 2010

A $484 million wind farm in the south-west has been given the green light.

Planning Minister Justin Madden yesterday approved three planning applications for the project after receiving advice from an independent panel.

The 5000-hectare wind farm, at Berrybank near Lismore, is expected to create 250jobs and generate 247.5 megawatts of energy ? enough to power about 171,000 homes.

It will have 99 turbines, with the average tower height of 80-metres. When the blade is at its highest point it will be 131 metres from the ground.

Premier John Brumby yesterday conceded some people opposed the project.

”But I think it is the fact with every major development there will always be a range of views about it,” Mr Brumby said.

Mr Madden said conditions had been put on the planning permits to reduce the visual and environmental impact of the towers.

The government’s recent Climate Change White Paper set a target for up to 25 per cent of the state’s power to be delivered from renewable sources by 2020.

Mr Brumby released the paper during the federal election campaign in a bid to boost the government’s green credentials in the lead-up to November’s state election.

Yesterday the government also announced it would streamline renewable energy project approvals and make the planning process more transparent.

-WITH THE AGE

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/08/25/yet-another-wind-farm/